Grandmother Dies Protecting Her Granddaughter From Kidnapping

Grandmother Dies Protecting Her Granddaughter From Kidnapping

Twelve-year-old Cassidy stopped at an Amarillo, Texas, gas station with her grandmother, Sharrel Blankenbaker, when 58-year-old Gary Carner tried to abduct her.

Blankenbaker wouldn't let Carner get off easily, and fought with him until she was shot and killed. The murder took place in front of Cassidy and her two other siblings, including a five-year-old boy.

The struggle fortunately alerted several witnesses, who told police the make and model of Carner's truck. Authorities caught up with him and killed him in a scuffle just a few hours later, after he'd apparently abducted an 11-year-old girl in a separate incident.

Now, Cassidy is honoring the memory of her grandmother by wearing her wedding ring around her neck. She says she still has a part of her grandmother with her, and that her presence always made others feel good.

"I know she's watching down on me. She will always love me," she said.

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